William a



(No Model.)

W. A. PENFIELD. STANDARD LAMP.

Patented Nov. 15. 1887.

RS Phatcvl-ilh gnphen Washington, at:

UNITED STATES PATENT, Orrrc.

. l VVILLIABI A. PENFIELD, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNCR TO THEBRADLEY & HUBBARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STANDARDLAMP.

SPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,376, dated November15, 1887.

Application filed May 16, 1887. Serial No. 23%301. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. PENFIELD, of Meriden, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inStandard Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, andrepresent, in

Figure 1, a side view of a lamp complete;

Fig. 2, a vertical central section through the engaging device; Fig. 3,a transverse section through the collar E and the frictional ring orsegments.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of lamps whichare designed to stand upon the floor, the lamp being supported upon avertical rod and the rod made adj ustable as to height, so that the lampmay be ad justed to different elevations, and such as commonly calledstandard or piano lamps. In this class of lamps the shaft which supportsthe lamp is made telescopic-that is, one tube fixed to the base with asecond rod within it,

to which the lamp is fixed, and so thatthe lamp, with the inner rod, maybe raised or lowered as occasion may require. It is necessary that whenadjusted the lamp shall be firmly supported, so as to prevent itsaccidental descent.

The object of my invention is to provide a means which will permit theinner rod, with the lamp, to be readily raised, and to so auto,matically engage the outer tube that when the proper point of elevationisreached the inner rod, with the lamp,will be firmly supported at thatpoint, but yet so that the engaging device will yield under sufficientforce for the descent of the inner rod and lamp.

A represents the outer tube, which is fixed to the base in the usualmanner; 13, the inner rod, which is usually made from tubing, asrepresented in Fig. 2, which is vertically adjustable within the outertube and carries the lamp at its upper end, as seen in Fig. 1, and sothat the lamp with the inner rod may be raised or lowered, as occasionmay require.

To the lower end of the inner rod, B, a spindle,

O, is fixed in the axial line of the rod, and so as to project downwardtherefrom. At a point below the lower end of the rod B a portion of thespindle D is made of conical shape, tapering downward. spindle is aloose collar, E, capable of moving up and down on this conical portionof the spindle.

In the collar segments F, more or less in number, are arranged, whichlie free in the collar for transverse or radial movement. These segmentsfit closely against the surface of the conical portion D of the spindle,as seen in Fig. 3, and so that the segments will be forced outward orpermitted to slide inward, accordingly as they stand in the plane of alarger or smaller diameter of the conical portion D. The exterior orperiphery of the segments adapts them to bear against the inner surfaceof the outer tube, as indicated in Fig. 2. Around the spindle, beneaththe collar E, is a suitable spring, G, the tendency of which is to forcethe collar E upward and onto the larger diameter of the conical portionD of the spindle. The lower end of the spring is supported by a nut, H,on the lower end of the spindle, by which the pressure of the springupon the collar may be adjusted.

The spindle 0, above the conical portion, is screw-threaded, and ontothis screw-threaded portion a collar, I, is placed, so that it may beadjusted up or down, as occasion may require. This collar forms astopagainst which the collar E may strike, so as to limit the extent ofpressure of the conical portion D of the spindle upon the segments-thatis, it permits the spindle to descend to a greater or less extent intothe collar. Set-nuts J are provided on the spindle to prevent theaccidental rotation of the collar I.

Standing as seen in Fig. 2, which is the normal position of the parts,the weight of the inner rod and the lamp forces the spindle downward,the conical portion D of which acts as a wedge between the segments andforces them outward into engagement with the inner surface of the tube,producing sufficient friction to firmly support the lamp in thatposition. If it is desired to raise the lamp from this position, thehand is placed upon the rod B or the lamp, and lifting upon the rod Braises the spindle, as indicated in broken Around this portion of thelines, Fig. 2. The frictional engagement between the segments causesthem to adhere to the inner surface of the tube until the conicalportion of the spindle has been so far withdrawn from the segments as topermit them to recede or contract. The spring G yields for this upwardmovement of the spindle independent of the collar; but so soon as thefriction between the segments and the outer tube has been thus releasedthe collar, with the segments, will follow upward with the rod until thedesired elevation is attained. Then, the

power which raised the lamp being removed,

the rod, with the lamp, will be left free to de scend; but the spring Gbears the collar upward with the segments in frictional contact with therod, so that the tendencyof the collar is to remain, while the rod B,with its spindle, descends. The conical portion D, moving downward likea wedge between the segments, forces them outward into firmer contactwith the inner surface of the outer tube, and so as to surely arrest thedescent at that point. If it is desired to place thelamp at a lowerposition, the hand is applied to the rod or lamp and pressed downwardwith sufficient force to overcome the friction between the segments andthe inner surface of the tube. Then the lamp, with all its parts theretoattached, descends until the desired position is reached.

The collar I comes into action on the down ward movement of thelamp-that is to say, when the rod is pressed downward the collar I firststrikes the collar E; then they move together as one; but the frictionbetween the segments and the'inner rod should be sufticiently great tosupport the lamp before the collar I reaches the collar E.

I claim 1. The combination of an outer tube with an inner rodtelescopically arranged, a spindle extending axially from the inner endof said inner rod, the said spindle constructed with a conical portion,D, a collar, E, around said conical portion, an expansible frictionalring, F, arranged in said collar and surrounding said conical portion Dof the spindle, a collar on said spindle at the larger end of saidconical portion and adapted to bear upon that side of the said collar E,and a springsupported on said spindle and adapted to bear upon theothcrside of said collar 19, the tendency of said spring being to force saidcollar E onto the larger diameter of the said conical portion,substantially as described.

2. The combinationoftheoutcrtube, A, the inner rod, B, the spindle G,extending axially from the inner end of said rod B, the said spindleconstructed with a conical portion, D, a collar, E. loose upon saidspindle and around said conical portion, cxpansible ring F in saidcollar and surrounding said conical portion, the adjustable collar I onsaid spindle on one side of the collar E, and the spring G, supported bysaid spindle and adapted to bear upon the other side of said collar E,substan tially as described.

WM. A. PENFIELD.

Vitnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE,

FRED O. EARLE.

